BETA-CAROTENE PROTECTS AGAINST HEART ATTACK.

In a study reported in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Costa Rica reported that the intake of fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene was inversely associated with the risk of heart attack. High levels of beta-carotene in adipose tissue also showed an inverse relation with risk to heart attack. Antioxidants were measured in adipose tissue and diet of people who had experienced a heart attack. The results suggested that beta-carotene protects against heart attack or is a marker of some protective factor in foods containing beta-carotene. (Edmond Kato Kabagambe, et.al. “Some Dietary and Adipose Tissue Carotenoids Are Associated with the Risk of Nonfatal Acute Myocardial Infarction in Costa Rica,” The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr., 135:1763-1769, July 2005).